Visiting Japan’s muscular mascot character dog at his free museum near Kansai International Airport

Japan's muscular mascot character dog, Inunakin, can be found at his free museum near Kansai International Airport. The city of Izumosano in Osaka Prefecture has an official mascot character, and theirs is an anthropomorphic dog named Inunakin. What's unusual about this mascot is its impressive physique.

Our first encounter with this beefy mascot took place at Izumisano's Riku Town Station, a mere one train stop away from Kansai International Airport. Upon spotting the signage for Inunakin House, marketed as the "official museum" for the character, we followed the arrows to the entrance. Admission to Inunakin House is free, so we entered without hesitation.

Inside, we were greeted by a life-size statue of Inunakin, striking an athletic pose. But Inunakin wasn't alone. Flanking him were full-scale statues of Kinnikuman, the star of the Kinnikuman / Muscle pro-wrestling anime/manga franchise, and his fellow Kinnikuman character, Ramenman. It's worth noting that Inunakin was designed by Taskashi Shimada and Yoshinori Nakai, the manga artist duo collectively known as Yudetamago, who also created Kinnikuman.

Given the wrestling saga's enduring popularity in Japan, it's no surprise that Yudetamago incorporated similar aesthetics into Inunakin's design. This resulted in Inunakin's incredibly chiseled abs, so hard that he doesn't require any protective covering for his abdomen. The museum offers a selection of character merchandise and a free reading section filled with Kinnikuman manga.